Mumbai: Even as saffron outfits are spearheading 'ghar wapsi' programs across India with the intention to bring Christians and Muslims into the fold of Hinduism, several groups of Hindus in Maharashtra are mulling converting to Buddhism. In fact, several Hindus in the state have registered for the process of conversion.

According to Satyashodhak OBC Parishad, around 1600 families have registered with it for conversion. This includes a large number of OBCs, apart from a few Brahmin and Maratha families.

Some Muslim and Christian families have also signed up for conversion to Buddhism.
Considering that each family comprises three to four persons, nearly 6,000 Hindus in the state are set to convert to Buddhism.

"Before we began the movement of 'ghar wapsi' among OBCs, we tried to find out their origin. We found that OBCs were actually Buddhist. So, this movement is an attempt to bring them back into their original religion. This is not conversion but 'ghar wapsi',â€ said President Hanumant Upre of Satyashodhak OBC Parishad.

The Satyashodhak OBC Parishad had launched the 'ghar wapsi' program on 14 October way back in 2011.

It had planned mass conversions by 14 October, 2016. The organisation has been trying to mobilise support for it its program over the past three years.

Upre alleged that upper caste Hindus are responsible for the struggles and poverty faced by the OBCs. "The caste system in Hinduism is responsible for the backwardness of the OBCs. They have always been opposed to development as they want the caste system to remain intact, so that the OBCs can be exploited. There is no respect for OBCs in Hinduism," says Upre.

He further alleged that the OBCs have been cheated by the upper caste Hindus in the past. "In 1931, a census of OBCs was conducted by the Britishers. No other census was conducted just for the OBCs in the later days, despite a promise of carrying out a survey in 2010. That's why the OBCs feel cheated," said Upre.

"We aim to register around 5 lakh people for conversion in Maharashtra till 2016. There are five crore OBCs among the 12 crore people in the state. We think we can easily achieve the target of converting 5lakh people by 2016," he said.

In 2007, around one lakh people were converted to Buddhism in Mumbai. The majority of the people who converted to Buddhism were tribals, nomadic tribes and other communities apart from the followers of dalit writer and Sahitya Akademin winner Laxman Mane. Mane himself converted to Buddhism in October 2006.
JV Pawar, renowned Dalit writer, said that the social awareness among the OBC community, who have been practicing Hinduism, seems to have increased in the past few years. "While the OBCs got reservation, they now realise that they need to rid themselves of the caste system in Hinduism. Due to the caste system, Dr BR Ambedkar, the Dalit icon, also converted to Buddhism,â€ Pawar said.

Pawar, much to the dismay of Hindutva activists, claimed that Hinduism did not exist in history. "India was actually a Buddhist country. It is evident from the cave art and ancient scriptures," he said.

So far, about 7,000 OBC people in Maharashtra have registered for the "ghar vapsi" campaign, he said.

"While finding out about our roots, we came to know that we are 'nagvanshi'. It proves that OBCs were originally Buddhists. So we have decided to return to our home. This is not conversion. This is the real ghar vapsi," he said.

The outfit began its mission to reach out to OBCs by personally visiting homes of those desired to return to Buddhism, besides holding small rallies, group discussions and conclaves, he said.

"We were forced into Hinduism in the 19th century, but the caste system always considered us 'shudras'. The present social set up does not reward us as it should. The only way is to break out of the system," he said.

In 2015, the OBC outfit's activists plan to reach out to every tehsil of Maharashtra with their message and a statewide conference would also be called to push the agenda, he said.

Hindus mustn't treat those who turn their back to Hinduism with kindness.

Cancel their reservations, single them out for ridicule.

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I don't think if Hindus convert to any of the other three(Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism) is a issue for anyone. Surely, there are people who do try to create hypothetical religious conflicts between Hindus and other three in the name of Hindu bashing.

PS: Hindus are kind and tolerant to people who reject Vedas ? Then why are they opposed to Xtian and Muslims ?

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What do Vedas have to do with anything here? Have Hindus had problems with Jews for instance? Do they follow the Vedas?

No one has or should have problem with all people of any religion unless they break the law and try to spread their religion by illegal means such as inducement or threat. History of the subcontinent is filled with how the two religions in your last question spread. Any sane person should have problems with that.

I don't think if Hindus convert to any of the other three(Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism) is a issue for anyone. Surely, there are people who do try to create hypothetical religious conflicts between Hindus and other three in the name of Hindu bashing.

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Ask Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs if they consider themselves Hindus, or are fine with their fellow co-religionists converting to Hinduism.

What do Vedas have to do with anything here? Have Hindus had problems with Jews for instance? Do they follow the Vedas?

No one has or should have problem with all people of any religion unless they break the law and try to spread their religion by illegal means such as inducement or threat. History of the subcontinent is filled with how the two religions in your last question spread. Any sane person should have problems with that.

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Buddhism tentacles were cut by Adi Shankarcharya, it is travesty that modern day Hindus are allowing this hydra to grown again.
Dhimmis all around.

Ask Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs if they consider themselves Hindus, or are fine with their fellow co-religionists converting to Hinduism.

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You are misunderstanding. I didn't say they are Hindus. Sikhs, Jains and Buddhist belong to separate religions. But all four Indians religions are seen as an extended family, if Hindus converts to other three, he is still in the family.

Decline of Buddhism was started with the invasion of India by white Huns(Hephthlites) and the remaining trace of Buddhism was finished from India by Bakhtiyar Khilji's invasion of Bihar and Bengal. The Pala Dynasty were the last great patron of Buddhism in India.

You are misunderstanding. I didn't say they are Hindus. Sikhs, Jains and Buddhist belong to separate religions. But all four Indians religions are seen as an extended family, if Hindus converts to other three, he is still in the family.

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There are many hardcore(kattar in hindi) minorities who hate even being linked with "Hindus" or "Hinduism" and it doesn't matter if their bloodline is directly related for thousand of years.

Pure awesomeness. The more Buddhists, sikhs, Jains and model communities of progress and peace like them in Bharat the better.

Finally an equitable, fair and transparent platform for spirtual and religious exchange has been introduced to the sub continent like Ghar Wapsi instead of subversive western/middle eastern coercive tactics of economic and brutality used to convert us to foreign self serving ideologies.

I hope more are returned to to the sikh fold as the 50 that were reported as they have truly been the saviors of the indian continent.

There are many hardcore(kattar in hindi) minorities who hate even being linked with "Hindus" or "Hinduism" and it doesn't matter if their bloodline is directly related for thousand of years.

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well Hinduism is founded in Vedas, I don't think people should have problems if others three want to keep their separate identities, ancient India also had religious movements relating to atheism. But all four religions share a lot of similarities in their religious practices/beliefs and thus like a family.

You are misunderstanding. I didn't say they are Hindus. Sikhs, Jains and Buddhist belong to separate religions. But all four Indians religions are seen as an extended family, if Hindus converts to other three, he is still in the family.

Hindus mustn't treat those who turn their back to Hinduism with kindness.

Cancel their reservations, single them out for ridicule.

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I would suggest you get hold of your emotions soon. It is becoming pretty sickening to see an erstwhile logical mind is going down the drain for petty hatred to Hindus. I definitely would like to know which Hindu wronged you and how. Anyway, it is just a friendly suggestion, as when I disapproved many of your POV, I didn't dislike your posts. Now, this kind of virulent comment shows that perhaps you might like to reign in your public persona.

Frankly, there's nothing to claim. they have their root in what you call 'Hinduism' - rather the spiritualism of he ancient culture that is collectively called Hinduism. There IS NO RELIGION that is called Hinduism. If you have bothered to learn the history, you would have found that out. Hinduism is collective form of Brahmanism, Vaishnavism, Shaktaism, etc. and as well as of Buddhism, Jainism and yes, Sikhism. At the inception of those religions or rather 'Path to spiritualism and way of life', the original fathers only offered a different view from what it was prevailing then, and mostly against Brahmanism. I personally have not studied in depth, but I know as much that Brahmanism was not the only way of life for those you call ancient 'Hindus' - there were Shivites and Shakta form and many other prevalant waay was there. May be someone more learned like @Ray can give a light in.

Whther they call them Buddhists or jain (gosh, bye bye Mutton Biriany), it is their choice. Even they wish to convert to as the recent trend is Xtianism, they are welcome. The hindus don't mind, as long as some kind of production line is created like what the missionaries have been doing. At least I don't, and a good no. in DFI don't, I believe. Further, except xtians no other religion speaks of heretics or kaffirs or pagans about hindus; and except xtians the goal of these other religions is basically one thing - moksh or nirvan.